Misconceptions about Christians

Background
Hello! I'd just like to humbly say before I really get into the topic that this is the first time I've tried blogging. So, please bear with me! Also, I'd also like to address that I will go into topics on this blog that can be disputed by different religions as well as different denominations of Christians. I'm going to try my hardest to keep beliefs dictated by specific denominations out of this blog and keep to scripture (an exception might be a blog post specifically about denominations because there are so many of them). 


I thought beginning with misconceptions about Christians to not only break the ice a little, but to also show what some opinions are of other people who don't share the same faith. There are so many misconceptions, and you know what? I completely understand why- for multiple reasons. The main reason I can understand why people have so many negative opinions about Christians is too many people who claim to be Christians certainly are not. For example, a person can be born into a Christian family and decide that they are Christian by "blood", but they certainly don't act Christian. Yeah, sure. Anyone can sit in a pew every single Sunday morning, and listen to an hour of preaching. That doesn't make one a Christian. Not even a lifetime of good deeds alone can make someone a Christian. You see, when people turned their backs on God, we became separated from Him. 

So picture it like this. When we were separated, we were on two different cliffs. There was literally no way for us to get to Him. No amount of good acts we did, no matter how far we tried to jump to get to the other side, it didn't work. However, God still loved us in our world of sin so he sent his only son for us.
You see, people would sacrifice lambs in an attempt to be cleansed of their sins. However, Jesus was the only pure lamb. He was the only sacrifice strong and pure enough to cleanse all of our sins. For the people thousands of years ago to you and I today, our sins were wiped away by Jesus when he was nailed on the cross, died, and finally rose again to conquer the death we would always meet. With his death, a bridge to God was finally made. The only thing we have to do is accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior and have a relationship with him. What does that entail, exactly? Well, get into His word, and communicate with him. To non-believers, communication may sound "dumb" or "obsolete". Most people have seen others pray. While watching someone pray, you don't see God speak back to them right? Do you literally hear a voice speak back to them? No, of course not (and if you have, God bless you because that's a miracle). However, when you accept Jesus Christ as your own personal savior, you are filled with an incredibly powerful guide called the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, God communicates with us. It's where most of our personal convictions come from, and The Holy Spirit helps guide us on the path God wants us to travel down.

I'd like for you to please keep that example in mind when I delve into these popular misconceptions.

Misconception 1: Christians have to be perfect

Oh goodness, I wish I could be perfect! I think we'd all like to be perfect, wouldn't we? That's why society is so obsessed with getting nice clothes, makeup, the best appliances... everything materialistic to look perfect on the outside. I'm guilty of this too! I've tried to improve on not putting my materialistic desires high up on my priority list, but it's certainly difficult. However, it's more than just an outward appearance that we humans strive to be perfect in. We try to mold our personalities into what society wants us to be. In high school, it's become the "norm" to party, drink, and have sex. It's not uncommon to walk down the hallways at school and hear teenagers talking about how they don't remember the previous weekend. It isn't uncommon to hear gossip. It isn't improbable to hear people insulting others and fighting. Why? Because reputation has come to mean everything. Why do people get drunk? It makes someone popular. Why do people gossip? People want to know everything about everyone else to make themselves feel better about their own lives and their own sins. 

However, just because this truth has been revealed to us through scripture and conviction, none of us are perfect. No human, Christian or not, is perfect no matter how much we pray to God or try to be like Jesus. Isaiah 64:6 says, "We are all infected and impure with sin." ALL of us. Every single one. None of us live up to God's standards because we're all sinners. Christians struggle with sins and Earthly desires just as much as anyone. Lust, greed, gossip, foul language, drinking, drugs, anything you can possibly think of! 

We struggle just as much as everyone else. The main difference is how we handle our struggles. In Psalm 91:14-16, God reveals to us a key piece of truth, "Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation." We pray to God and ask for help. We don't carry all of our sins and struggles on our own back. We have our God to help us- that's the difference.

You see, we don't have to be perfect because God loves us for loving him, and he loves us to help us even when we don't deserve it. Christians mess up. We do. I certainly do- a lot more than I'm probably willing to admit a lot of the time. We can try to be perfect, but we will always fall short of the glory of God. Anyone who claims to be a "perfect" Christian needs to pray for wisdom because my goodness, they must seriously be struggling with a pride problem. No one is perfect. No Christian is perfect, and no Christian can ever be perfect. Why? We're all infected with sin.

Misconception 2: All Christians are judgmental 

If you've been judged by a Christian, I'm terribly sorry. I can tell you it is a very difficult to resist the urge to judge lots of things, even as a Christian. Defying human nature is incredibly challenging, but it's not impossible. For those of you who are not Christians who have been judged by a Christian for who you are, there is no reasonable excuse to give you, and again I cannot express how sorry I am. Here's why: Christians were all once guided by sins and led a naturally sinful life. Christians still sin. Ever tell a white lie? I'm a Christian, and though I'm ashamed to say it, I've told many of white lies. No, I'm not a pathological liar by any standards. However, I've slipped a white lie to a teacher or friend in the past. It could have been something as harmless as, "No, I don't have a pencil, sorry." One, I certainly had a pencil and just didn't want to give it to you. Two, I'm not sorry. Two white lies in one sentence. Less than five seconds. Two sins, one sentence, five seconds. Yeah, I said this to someone like three days ago. 

Although the little lie I told my friend seems harmless, it's still against God's Will and God's desires for me. Sin is sin. It doesn't matter which way you slice and dice it. Lying, swearing, sexual impurity. They're all sins and an abomination to God. There's really no way around that. People can try to judge and make one sin seem worse than another, but God doesn't see it that way.

I'm going to be honest here- I used to be incredibly judgmental. When I first became a Christian, I was too afraid to associate with anyone who wasn't a Christian because... I really can't even fathom why I would have done such a thing now. I guess I thought that my salvation would be ruined? I don't know. It seems ridiculous now, but it's the truth.

Well, God had to convict me an awful lot. He first began to show me these verses, Matthew 7:1-5, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Those verses really hit me hard. I had been judging people my entire life without any remorse. I still catch myself saying something dumb every once in a while. 

It's judgmental Christians that get images such as this so popular on Google and meme sites. Simply because it's true; Christians openly judge, thinking they have the right to play God. We don't. We'll be judged for doing such a thing. I just wish people would pay better attention to such details.

For example, I have a great friend. She's one of the best friends that I have ever had, and she's not a Christian. She struggles with lust. Well, one day she was telling me about a weekend when she had done several things I would consider morally incorrect. Well, I slipped up a bit and said that what she was doing was disgusting. Well, needless to say, I was really convicted again because I hurt her feelings. It was difficult to swallow my pride and apologize, but I did. I had no right to judge her. We're called to love, not judge.

Misconception 3:Christians always try and shove their religion down your throat

I found that one online when I was researching opinions on Christians- yes, I actually care about what non-believers have to say. And no, I don't argue with people online about my beliefs. Trolls on you tube *sigh*. Anyway, I will say that yes... some Christians do that. And most Christians will share the Gospel casually with their loved ones because it's an important part of their lives and in truth, we would like for more people to be Christian. However, a lot of people go about it the wrong way. In fact, a lot of people just don't know when to stop talking and put themselves in the other person's shoes. I mean, if an atheist starting yelling at me or telling me a bunch of weird "facts" and statistics, I'd get a little defensive too.

The way Christians communicate is key. However, when most Christians discuss religion with non-believers, it's almost always about how they are wrong and only Christianity is right. Or how they need Jesus (which is not wrong) by pointing out all of their flaws (that's wrong). Ever notice that? How often do you come across a Christian who just talks about God's love and grace rather than topics such as abortion and homosexuality? Of course people are going to think Christians are shoving religion down people's throats when there are extremists holding up signs at funerals saying, "Fag enabler" or "God hates America." Who wants to hear that as a non-believer? I don't even want to hear that non-sense now... I would have walked away and never turned back if that was thrown in my face! 

Please note: This is not what I consider to be a form of biblical Christianity. It's a spiteful group of people who have clearly misread their bibles. Particularly the parts about judging, making disciples, saving the lost, and being Christ-like. Please do not associate this "church" with any other form of Christianity. They may get the most attention, but most of us are not like this. Not even relatively close.

It is part of our relationship with God to want to spread his love to other people. Here are a couple of verses that tell us exactly what our role is with bringing people to Christ as Christians:

Matthew 28: 19-20

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Please realize that not everyone will shove the gospel down your throat. Many Christians will be patient with you and just love you until you come around to asking questions or just mention small things here and there. Also, most Christians have good intentions with trying to convert nonbelievers to followers of Christ. You see, we want to see everyone in heaven. And as Christians, we feel the only way to do that is to have a relationship with our savior Jesus Christ. So, next time when you're sitting with a friend who is pestering you about the gospel, even if you really don't get it or want to... please try to remember that your friend just wants to see you in heaven and that they care about you.

God Bless everyone! I hope this post helps clear up a couple things for you. :) Thanks for taking the time to read it!